Personal Space
by Silindro
Summary: Oneshot. Tired of being hassled by everyone at the party, Han finds a cozy little alcove to hide in. Little does he know, it's already occupied...


a/n: For emotional reasons let's just say that there hasn't been much action for either of them since RotJ. This should probably take place a few months before CoPL. And throw in a handful of wanton lust while you're at it.

_HopelessRomantic225: Leave an email address if you read this. You don't have one posted on your author's page._

**Personal Space**---

At first he told himself that attending the stupid ambassadorial gala was a bad idea, that no good would come out of going unless he spent his night standing next to the all-you-can-drink bar. Of course he had his own private liquor stash aboard the Falcon, dozens of bottles that ranged from the cheap to the more expensive, hard to find brands only available on planets that no one thought hospitable enough to visit. He liked being drunk between missions. It was a way to separate the reality from the alter reality.

The very thought of seeing _her _there had eventually talked him into going. He wasn't thrilled about dressing up in his clown costume, but if it got him a ticket to the bar then at least the night wasn't lost. And there was always the prospect of leaving early if he wasn't having a good time or leaving early if he was drunk enough to get himself kicked out.

Standing next to the bar he held his drink loosely in his hand, half gone. He was working on his second glass and fifteenth diplomat. They kept coming to compliment him 'on your commendable work throughout these hard times, General'. It was the same words over and over in different dialects of different languages of different races.

Setting his empty glass on the counter, he scanned his eyes over the bustling room. Somewhere in the midst of all the people was the real reason for his presence. He imagined that she would be wearing her typical white gown and fashionable hairstyle that accompanied her everywhere she went. He had to say that even waist deep in trash or wounded from Imperial blaster shots, she still looked beautiful.

Surely she would look just as if not more beautiful if he were able to find her. So far she wasn't anywhere that he could find, but he hadn't been there more than one half of a standard hour. Taking another look around, he wondered if she were even going to come at all.

The bartender slid another glass of Corellian Brandy across the bar. Han caught it swiftly and lifted it instantly to his lips, savoring the burn as it went down his throat. If Chewbacca were here the diplomats wouldn't have been swarming around so much. But there was no point in trying to get a Wookiee to come to official functions. They didn't like being around so many humans.

Sipping at his drink, he wondered how long he would have to wait for another annoyance to come his way. And even more curious, he wondered who it would be to bother him. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Luke Skywalker coming over, dressed in his finest Jedi robes.

"Hey kid," Han greeted as the younger man came to stand next to him.

"I'm kind of surprised to see you here," Luke confessed, signaling to the bartender that he'd like something to drink.

"You and me both," Han grinned, swirling the brandy in his glass. "It ain't my kind of party, that's for sure."

"Why _are_ you here?" Luke asked inquisitively.

"Still trying to figure it out. Best I can say is that I came for the booze, but I'm not drunk enough to leave yet. At least that was the original plan when I was on my way up."

"And we all know how well you like to stick to the plan," Luke smirked.

"Where's your sister?" Han asked suddenly. "Isn't this her kind of thing?"

Luke looked around the room, sorting through the various heads and tails of the different species. There was no sign of Leia anywhere in the crowd. He frowned slightly. Reaching out with the Force he felt her presence nearby, but still she went unseen.

"She's definitely here," Luke said. "Somewhere close by, anyway. It almost feels li-"

"Master Jedi!"

Luke and Han turned their heads toward the deep, scratchy voice that had called out. A strange looking creature in a deep, royal blue tunic-like garment was walking over. Han had never seen the being before, but it seemed obvious that Luke was not thrilled at the prospect of conversing with it.

"I'm gonna take a look around," he murmured, leaving the jedi to his own conversations.

Walking along the east wall, he spotted a few familiar people here and there. They waved hello and he lifted his nearly-empty glass in greeting. At least they seemed to be enjoying themselves, something that he was very much not doing. Looking back towards the exit, he wondered if he could make it there without running into anyone else. Of course luck was not on his side, as he noticed an out of place Rodian walking his direction.

Setting his empty glass on the tray of a server walking by, Han looked for a quick way out of the oncoming conversation. He noticed a large floral arrangement a few feet down the wall and headed there quickly, but not so quickly that it looked like he was in a hurry to get away. He stood inconspicuously in front of the plants, ducking out of sight when the moment was right.

"Ouch!"

Han felt the foot crushed beneath his step before he heard the softened yelp of pain from its owner. He stood with his back to the wall, still looking through the tiny clear spaces between the leaves and flowers for any sign that he had been seen in the middle of his disappearing act. It didn't seem that anyone noticed that he was gone. Or cared, maybe. He wasn't sure.

"Han, what are you doing?"

Turning around slowly, he gave the princess a cheeky half-grin that he was so accustomed to giving. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head to the side, an obvious sign of annoyed curiosity. She wanted to ask, but she really didn't want to know.

"Playing cat and mouse," he replied. "And looks like you got caught."

If there were any more space in the alcove, she would have used it to back up against the wall at his predatory advance. But she was already pressed up against the hard stone and no more than an inch or two away from Han. Trapped.

"I was here first," she whispered between dry lips.

"But there's room for two," he reasoned, bracing his hands on the wall on either side of her shoulders. "Nice people share, y'know."

"You aren't nice," she scoffed. "You're a scoundrel."

"All of a sudden I'm getting the weirdest feeling of déjà vu," he chuckled, remembering a situation quite similar years before on the Falcon.

"Han, what are you-"

Pulling her tight to his body, he kissed her with barely restrained passion. They were hidden from the rest of the world but still so readily found if anyone with a fond interest in plants were to look through the bushes. She clung to him with her arms held tightly around his neck. It had been so long since they had been wrapped up together in such a fervent, needy manner. She had almost forgotten the feel of his lips and the taste of his kisses.

"How long has it been?" she asked, her voice rough with desire. She nipped at Han's throat as a physical afterthought, rendering him nearly speechless. This was definitely a Leia that he wasn't expecting to find.

"How long have you been hiding in the bushes?" he asked, changing the subject to something more neutral in hopes of calming himself down. It just wouldn't do to leave their hiding spot with reminders of why he really didn't want to go.

"Not long," she answered, "maybe ten or fifteen minutes at the most. I only wanted to stop and compose myself before I went on a homicidal rampage."

"Something tells me that killing half of the ambassadors from neighboring planets might get you some time off from this political business."

"A permanent vacation," she grinned. "And maybe a ticket to some remote planet that isn't much more than sand and villains."

"Yeah, I hear Tatooine's a real tourist attraction this time of year."

They laughed quietly, their foreheads pressed together comfortably in the confined space of the alcove. His arms held her close to his chest and she didn't mind the infringement of her personal space. It was their personal space. They shared.

"What are you two doing behind here?" a voice called, startling them both from their moment.

"Go away, Luke," Han called grouchily. "I'm just getting to the good part."

"Hey now, official New Republic functions are no place to ravage my sister," the jedi warned. "Besides, everyone's been looking for you two. You've been gone nearly a half hour. Mon Mothma's starting to get worried, Leia."

"He's right, you know," Leia sighed. "We really do need to get back out there."

"Sure, you go first and I'll leave when things won't look so conspicuous," he offered.

"You are planning on leaving the bushes, aren't you?" she asked, maneuvering herself to stand outside of the niche next to her brother.

"Don't worry about me," came the reply. "I'll be waiting for you in the Falcon."

Luke rolled his eyes and walked away, clearly not interested in Han's antics. He had done his part. He had pulled them out of the bushes and stopped them from acting like hormonal teenagers. For the most part, anyway. What they did on their own time was none of his concern.

Besides, it was still early and there was an open bar calling his name. Jedi or not, he had a hankering for something liquorish. If he was going to be making excuses for his sister's absence all night, there was no reason not to be happy about it when there was a drink close in hand.

"A bird in hand is worth two in the bush," he mumbled as he stepped away from the seemingly talking plants. "Whatever that's supposed to mean.

---

a/n: Been trying to finish up my unfinished stuff before homework really starts to kill me. I know this one went kind of fast, but it was either sloppy ending or no story at all. I'm sure you're not crying too hard over it.

If you're really looking for something good to read in between my quiet times of non-posting, go check out stuff by **Chanel19**. She's got some great foofy stuff that makes you want to melt into a puddle of goo. I figure that the more reviews she gets, maybe the more frequently she'll post. And give a flag up for who sent you.

And for the love of God, read my other stuff. It's waiting and begging for readers and reviewers.

It's a fanfiction sin to read without reviewing.


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